Do you have a mobile strategy, or is that something you were planning to get around to developing later? Let me ask you something else, when’s the last time you brushed your teeth? Does that seem like something more urgent than putting together your mobile strategy? I’ve got news for you: more people own a mobile device than own a toothbrush. Once you’re done being disgusted by that stat, I want you to think about what that means for mobile marketing.
Hint: You need a mobile marketing strategy.
Getting started with mobile marketing
The mobile world represents a shift in the way we live and the way we work. Think about it: when was the last time you printed out a paper map or memorized a phone number? Mobile marketing requires a shift in your marketing priorities as well.
- Evaluate your audience: Get to know the habits of your target audience. What devices do they use, when and how do they use them?
- Polish your website: Put mobile first. Design your marketing to reach a mobile audience. If you don’t already have a responsive website, prioritize updating it.
- Expect a moving target: Assume emails and social media will be opened and read on mobile devices. Ensure that you’re using a mobile-friendly email format and posting timely social media messages for customers on the move.
- Use mobile advertising: If you’re spending advertising money, spend it on mobile advertising. Mobile coupons have 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons.
Customers want mobile utility
If you don’t brush your teeth, your dental hygienist and will dentist notice; you might get a lecture. If you don’t have a mobile strategy, everyone you do business with will likely notice. It’s not so much that you’ll get a lecture as you’ll lose business to your competitors who are already implementing mobile strategies.
According to a recent Forrester report, customers are shifting from caring about brand messaging and logos to caring about utility. Twenty-two percent of Americans want to be able to reach you now, on multiple devices. After all, that’s how Facebook works, and that’s how they want your brand to work too. And it’s a number that continues to increase each year.
I recently switched banks. Why? Because the old bank wasn’t mobile. Not being mobile means not being convenient. Life is busy. I need a convenient bank that I can access easily online from wherever I am with whatever device I have on me when banking needs arise. Mobility was a number one criteria for making my decision about who to bank with.
If you think I wrote this blog post sitting at a desk plugged into the wall, you’re living in the past. And if you think that’s how your customers are looking for your business or services, you’re wrong. The world is mobile. You need a mobile strategy. Start thinking about it now. Think about it the next time you’re brushing your teeth, because mobile marketing is as essential to your business as brushing is for your dental health.
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